The Aesop for children (translated) E-Book

Aesop

• Herausgeber: anna ruggieri
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

- This edition is unique;
- The translation is completely original and was carried out for the Ale. Mar. SAS;
- All rights reserved.

Aesop for Children is a fully illustrated collection of 147 of the best-loved fables by Aesop, a slave and storyteller who is believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BC. The illustrations were done by Milo Winter and this edition was first published in 1919. The fables were not recorded in writing until centuries after Aesop's death and, although they were originally intended for adults, from the time of the Renaissance they began to be used for the education of children. In ancient history books one can only find scattered details about the storyteller, but the fables he told continue to be used to this day. The fables include tales such as The boys and the frogs; The ants and the grasshopper; A crow and a swan; The monkey and the camel; The boar and the fox; The donkey, the fox and the lion; The birds, the beasts, and the bat; The lion, the bear and the fox; The wolf and the lamb; The wolf and the sheep; The hares and the frogs; The fox and the stork; The travellers and the sea; The wolf and the lion; The deer and its reflection; The peacock; The mice and the weasels; The wolf and the skinny dog and many more.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

The Wolf and the Kid

The Tortoise and the Ducks

The Young Crab and His Mother

The Frogs and the Ox

The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox

Belling the Cat

The Eagle and the Jackdaw

The Boy and the Filberts

Hercules and the Wagoner

The Kid and the Wolf

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

The Fox and the Grapes

The Bundle of Sticks

The Wolf and the Crane

The Ass and His Driver

The Oxen and the Wheels

The Lion and the Mouse

The Shepherd Boy and the Wolf

The Gnat and the Bull

The Plane Tree

The Farmer and the Stork

The Sheep and the Pig

The Travelers and the Purse

The Lion and the Ass

The Frogs Who Wished for a King

The Owl and the Grasshopper

The Wolf and His Shadow

The Oak and the Reeds

The Rat and the Elephant

The Boys and the Frogs

The Crow and the Pitcher

The Ants and the Grasshopper

The Ass Carrying the Image

A Raven and a Swan

The Two Goats

The Ass and the Load of Salt

The Lion and the Gnat

The Leap at Rhodes

The Cock and the Jewel

The Monkey and the Camel

The Wild Boar and the Fox

The Ass, the Fox, and the Lion

The Birds, the Beasts, and the Bat

The Lion, the Bear, and the Fox

The Wolf and the Lamb

The Wolf and the Sheep

The Hares and the Frogs

The Fox and the Stork

The Travelers and the Sea

The Wolf and the Lion

The Stag and His Reflection

The Peacock

The Mice and the Weasels

The Wolf and the Lean Dog

The Fox and the Lion

The Lion and the Ass

The Dog and His Master's Dinner

The Vain Jackdaw and His Borrowed Feathers

The Monkey and the Dolphin

The Wolf and the Ass

The Monkey and the Cat

The Dogs and the Fox

The Dogs and the Hides

The Rabbit, the Weasel, and the Cat

The Bear and the Bees

The Fox and the Leopard

The Heron

The Cock and the Fox

The Dog in the Manger

The Wolf and the Goat

The Ass and the Grasshoppers

The Mule

The Fox and the Goat

The Cat, the Cock, and the Young Mouse

The Wolf and the Shepherd

The Peacock and the Crane

The Farmer and the Cranes

The Farmer and His Sons

The Two Pots

The Goose and the Golden Egg

The Fighting Bulls and the Frog

The Mouse and the Weasel

The Farmer and the Snake

The Sick Stag

The Goatherd and the Wild Goats

The Spendthrift and the Swallow

The Cat and the Birds

The Dog and the Oyster

The Astrologer

Three Bullocks and a Lion

Mercury and the Woodman

The Frog and the Mouse

The Fox and the Crab

The Serpent and the Eagle

The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

The Bull and the Goat

The Eagle and the Beetle

The Old Lion and the Fox

The Man and the Lion

The Ass and the Lap Dog

The Milkmaid and Her Pail

The Wolf and the Shepherd

The Goatherd and the Goat

The Miser

The Wolf and the House Dog

The Fox and the Hedgehog

The Bat and the Weasels

The Quack Toad

The Fox Without a Tail

The Mischievous Dog

The Rose and the Butterfly

The Cat and the Fox

The Boy and the Nettle

The Old Lion

The Fox and the Pheasants

Two Travelers and a Bear

The Porcupine and the Snakes

The Fox and the Monkey

The Mother and the Wolf

The Flies and the Honey

The Eagle and the Kite

The Stag, the Sheep, and the Wolf

The Animals and the Plague

The Shepherd and the Lion

The Dog and His Reflection

The Hare and the Tortoise

The Bees and Wasps, and the Hornet

The Lark and Her Young Ones

The Cat and the Old Rat

The Fox and the Crow

The Ass and Its Shadow

The Miller, His Son, and the Ass

The Ant and the Dove

The Man and the Satyr

The Wolf, the Kid, and the Goat

The Swallow and the Crow

Jupiter and the Monkey

The Lion, the Ass, and the Fox

The Lion's Share

The Mole and His Mother

The North Wind and the Sun

The Hare and His Ears

The Wolves and the Sheep

The Cock and the Fox

The Ass in the Lion's Skin

The Fisherman and the Little Fish

The Fighting Cocks and the Eagle

The aesop for children

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MILO WINTER

1919

The Wolf and the Kid

There was once a little Kid whose growing horns made him think he was a grown–up Billy Goat and able to take care of himself. So one evening when the flock started home from the pasture and his mother called, the Kid paid no heed and kept right on nibbling the tender grass. A little later when he lifted his head, the flock was gone.

He was all alone. The sun was sinking. Long shadows came creeping over the ground. A chilly little wind came creeping with them making scary noises in the grass. The Kid shivered as he thought of the terrible Wolf. Then he started wildly over the field, bleating for his mother. But not half–way, near a clump of trees, there was the Wolf!

The Kid knew there was little hope for him.

"Please, Mr. Wolf," he said trembling, "I know you are going to eat me. But first please pipe me a tune, for I want to dance and be merry as long as I can."

The Wolf liked the idea of a little music before eating, so he struck up a merry tune and the Kid leaped and frisked gaily.

Meanwhile, the flock was moving slowly homeward. In the still evening air the Wolf's piping carried far. The Shepherd Dogs pricked up their ears. They recognized the song the Wolf sings before a feast, and in a moment they were racing back to the pasture. The Wolf's song ended suddenly, and as he ran, with the Dogs at his heels, he called himself a fool for turning piper to please a Kid, when he should have stuck to his butcher's trade.

Do not let anything turn you from your purpose.

The Tortoise and the Ducks

The Tortoise, you know, carries his house on his back. No matter how hard he tries, he cannot leave home. They say that Jupiter punished him so, because he was such a lazy stay–at–home that he would not go to Jupiter's wedding, even when especially invited.

After many years, Tortoise began to wish he had gone to that wedding. When he saw how gaily the birds flew about and how the Hare and the Chipmunk and all the other animals ran nimbly by, always eager to see everything there was to be seen, the Tortoise felt very sad and discontented. He wanted to see the world too, and there he was with a house on his back and little short legs that could hardly drag him along.

One day he met a pair of Ducks and told them all his trouble.

"We can help you to see the world," said the Ducks. "Take hold of this stick with your teeth and we will carry you far up in the air where you can see the whole countryside. But keep quiet or you will be sorry."

The Tortoise was very glad indeed. He seized the stick firmly with his teeth, the two Ducks took hold of it one at each end, and away they sailed up toward the clouds.

Just then a Crow flew by. He was very much astonished at the strange sight and cried:

"This must surely be the King of Tortoises!"

"Why certainly―" began the Tortoise.

But as he opened his mouth to say these foolish words he lost his hold on the stick, and down he fell to the ground, where he was dashed to pieces on a rock.

Foolish curiosity and vanity often lead to misfortune.

The Young Crab and His Mother

"Why in the world do you walk sideways like that?" said a Mother Crab to her son. "You should always walk straight forward with your toes turned out."

"Show me how to walk, mother dear," answered the little Crab obediently, "I want to learn."

So the old Crab tried and tried to walk straight forward. But she could walk sideways only, like her son.

And when she wanted to turn her toes out she tripped and fell on her nose.

Do not tell others how to act unless you can set a good example.

The Frogs and the Ox

An Ox came down to a reedy pool to drink. As he splashed heavily into the water, he crushed a young Frog into the mud. The old Frog soon missed the little one and asked his brothers and sisters what had become of him.

"A great big monster," said one of them, "stepped on little brother with one of his huge feet!"

"Big, was he!" said the old Frog, puffing herself up. "Was he as big as this?"

"Oh, much bigger!" they cried.

The Frog puffed up still more.

"He could not have been bigger than this," she said.

But the little Frogs all declared that the monster was much, much bigger and the old Frog kept puffing herself out more and more until, all at once, she burst.

Do not attempt the impossible.

The Dog, the Cock, and the Fox

A Dog and a Cock, who were the best of friends, wished very much to see something of the world. So they decided to leave the farmyard and to set out into the world along the road that led to the woods. The two comrades traveled along in the very best of spirits and without meeting any adventure to speak of.

At nightfall the Cock, looking for a place to roost, as was his custom, spied nearby a hollow tree that he thought would do very nicely for a night's lodging. The Dog could creep inside and the Cock would fly up on one of the branches. So said, so done, and both slept very comfortably.

With the first glimmer of dawn the Cock awoke. For the moment he forgot just where he was. He thought he was still in the farmyard where it had been his duty to arouse the household at daybreak. So standing on tip–toes he flapped his wings and crowed lustily. But instead of awakening the farmer, he awakened a Fox not far off in the wood. The Fox immediately had rosy visions of a very delicious breakfast. Hurrying to the tree where the Cock was roosting, he said very politely:

"A hearty welcome to our woods, honored sir. I cannot tell you how glad I am to see you here. I am quite sure we shall become the closest of friends."

"I feel highly flattered, kind sir," replied the Cock slyly. "If you will please go around to the door of my house at the foot of the tree, my porter will let you in."

The hungry but unsuspecting Fox, went around the tree as he was told, and in a twinkling the Dog had seized him.

Those who try to deceive may expect to be paid in their own coin.

Belling the Cat

The Mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished to find some way of knowing when she was coming, so they might have time to run away. Indeed, something had to be done, for they lived in such constant fear of her claws that they hardly dared stir from their dens by night or day.

Many plans were discussed, but none of them was thought good enough. At last a very young Mouse got up and said:

"I have a plan that seems very simple, but I know it will be successful. All we have to do is to hang a bell about the Cat's neck. When we hear the bell ringing we will know immediately that our enemy is coming."

All the Mice were much surprised that they had not thought of such a plan before. But in the midst of the rejoicing over their good fortune, an old Mouse arose and said:

"I will say that the plan of the young Mouse is very good. But let me ask one question: Who will bell the Cat?"

It is one thing to say that something should be done, but quite a different matter to do it.

The Eagle and the Jackdaw

An Eagle, swooping down on powerful wings, seized a lamb in her talons and made off with it to her nest. A Jackdaw saw the deed, and his silly head was filled with the idea that he was big and strong enough to do as the Eagle had done. So with much rustling of feathers and a fierce air, he came down swiftly on the back of a large Ram. But when he tried to rise again he found that he could not get away, for his claws were tangled in the wool. And so far was he from carrying away the Ram, that the Ram hardly noticed he was there.

The Shepherd saw the fluttering Jackdaw and at once guessed what had happened. Running up, he caught the bird and clipped its wings. That evening he gave the Jackdaw to his children.

"What a funny bird this is!" they said laughing, "what do you call it, father?"

"That is a Jackdaw, my children. But if you should ask him, he would say he is an Eagle."

Do not let your vanity make you overestimate your powers.

The Boy and the Filberts

A Boy was given permission to put his hand into a pitcher to get some filberts. But he took such a great fistful that he could not draw his hand out again. There he stood, unwilling to give up a single filbert and yet unable to get them all out at once. Vexed and disappointed he began to cry.

"My boy," said his mother, "be satisfied with half the nuts you have taken and you will easily get your hand out. Then perhaps you may have some more filberts some other time."

Do not attempt too much at once.

Hercules and the Wagoner

A Farmer was driving his wagon along a miry country road after a heavy rain. The horses could hardly drag the load through the deep mud, and at last came to a standstill when one of the wheels sank to the hub in a rut.

The farmer climbed down from his seat and stood beside the wagon looking at it but without making the least effort to get it out of the rut. All he did was to curse his bad luck and call loudly on Hercules to come to his aid. Then, it is said, Hercules really did appear, saying:

"Put your shoulder to the wheel, man, and urge on your horses. Do you think you can move the wagon by simply looking at it and whining about it? Hercules will not help unless you make some effort to help yourself."

And when the farmer put his shoulder to the wheel and urged on the horses, the wagon moved very readily, and soon the Farmer was riding along in great content and with a good lesson learned.

Self help is the best help.

Heaven helps those who help themselves.

The Kid and the Wolf

A frisky young Kid had been left by the herdsman on the thatched roof of a sheep shelter to keep him out of harm's way.

The Kid was browsing near the edge of the roof, when he spied a Wolf and began to jeer at him, making faces and abusing him to his heart's content.

"I hear you," said the Wolf, "and I haven't the least grudge against you for what you say or do. When you are up there it is the roof that's talking, not you."

Do not say anything at any time that you would not say at all times.

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

A Town Mouse once visited a relative who lived in the country. For lunch the Country Mouse served wheat stalks, roots, and acorns, with a dash of cold water for drink. The Town Mouse ate very sparingly, nibbling a little of this and a little of that, and by her manner making it very plain that she ate the simple food only to be polite.